2015 Nba Draft Discussion: Russell, Nance Jr., Brown

BTW, Jerian Grant:
Year One: 7 points, 2 rebounds, 2.5 assists
Potential Peak: 13 points, 3.5 rebounds, 4 assists

 

Hope this is true. One more shot at Towns or Okafor.

 

I saw that new mock. They've got us taking Mudiay at #4... That'd be a pretty interesting pick. It'd be the kind of pick that ignores Kobe being on the team. I think a duo of Mudiay and Clarkson along with Randle inside is pretty damn intriguing. I think all three of them have what it takes mentally and they all show good signs of on-court production (obviously Clarkson has proven it).

We don't necessarily need Mudiay, but it'd be an interesting, interesting pick...

 

If we pick Mudiay and then sign Love, someone isn't starting. Cause Mudiay and Clarkson are the guards. Kobe could move to sf but that would send Randle to the bench since Love is at the 4...unless we go ULTRA small with love at center. Love/Randle/Kobe/Clarkson/Mudiay would be TINY.

 

I'm not thinking about Love in that lineup. I'm just thinking of having a core group of young guys with Mudiay, Clarkson, and Randle. Those three are really dynamic, young, and I think would feed off of each other really well. Clarkson can pretty much create for himself and for anyone else. Mudiay is more of a pick-and-roller/defender, and Randle has an incredible and unique skill set. I think the three of them could be really good together.

Of course, so could Winslow or Johnson or Towns or Okafor so it's no skin of my nose. And yes in that scenario Mudiay is probably our 6th man until Kobe unfortunately-but-fairly-likely goes down with an injury. Then we start Mudiay/Clarkson as our backcourt of the future.

 

How do you guys feel about Hezonja? He can play multiple positions, plays in the second best league in the world... young, athletic, great shooter. He looks like one of the most polished wings in the draft.

 

It all comes down to his mentality and off-the-court drama. There's been some mixed reports and it's difficult to determine which is more accurate. Some have him being a total diva who alienates his teammates, doesn't always give full effort, and is more focused on flash than solid play. Other reports say he's intense and he tries to hold his teammates to the same standard but gets frustrated by their weak play.

I need to have him interview with Mitch and Jim, scrimmage against some of the other players in the draft, and then have some sort of competition with Kobe. Kobe more than anyone will be able to tell us whether the kid is a competitor or a diva. If he struggles in ANY of those areas, I'm staying out of the Top 5 for him. If he nails EVERY one of those areas, I'm down to draft him at #5. He's got tremendous talent and upside, but we need to make sure he's got his head screwed on straight. We can't afford to draft a malcontent with this pick. We need a guy who can be the face of the franchise.

 

Names like Bargnani and Gallinari make me very cautious about a Euro with offensive talent but no apparent love for defense. Not saying that Hezonja is that kind of kid, we need to see workouts, just sayin'... My guard is up on this kid. He needs to knock it out of the park this summer for me to take a chance on him.

 

I wants him.

 

Great. I think he would be a good pick for us and I do agree that we have to interview him. Mitch was interested in this kid, and I think Hezonja is very talented and athletic. We'll see what happens there, but I think he would fit well with Clark and Randle.

 

Ya, I'm not saying don't pick him. If Mitch likes him better than anyone at our draft position, by all means take him. I was just throwing out a conceivable scenario for s---s and giggles. The nice thing we have going for us is our two young studs both play (or can play in Clarkson's case) positions that have no prospects in the top 5 (or really the top 10 for that matter). Looking at the mock drafts, you have to get down to the mid-teens before you start running into players that play pf. And since Clarkson can play either guard spot, pg/sgs are a non-issue. As long as we keep the pick, we will have a "Young Three" that can all play off each other because of our current "Young Two's" versatility.

As for Hezonja, his highlight reels look awesome, but ya never know with those things. If we take him, I'm going to trust Mitch and (gulp) Jim have seen what they need to see. I still like Winslow (or Johnson) better simply because having a wing that can really play D seems like it's becoming essential in today's NBA. Hezonja, while not non-existent as it pertains to defense, would leave us with potentially 3 young up and comers that all may have trouble defending their respective positions. Randle is a little small for a pf, Clarkson may not be quick enough to guard pgs or big enough for some sgs, and then a potentially disinterested Hezonja.

With Leonard, Draymond Green, Jimmy Butler, Carroll...we are seeing the enormous impact a solid defensive wing who can also score a bit has on a team's success. I say go for Winslow. Obviously if we're in the top 2 we take Okafor or Towns, but if it comes to the small forward trio, I'd take Winslow. And if we take Winslow, take Upshaw at 27 to hopefully steal another defensive monster. If Upshaw got his head on straight (he's still REAL young), we could have lockdown D on the wing and inside.

 

Yeah I'm with you guys. Johnson and Winslow are in our backyard and we got to see a LOT of them in the tournament. Hezonja has an uphill battle to prove he's on their level or higher. It's difficult to take much from just highlights, but a few things show certainly: solid stroke, top level athleticism, and a smooth game showing coordination and fast twitch muscle structure. He's got the body and talent for the league, but let's see what he has going on upstairs.